Ulysse Nardin Chairman Smart Phone: Hybrid Phone + Watch

Really, it is about time we started to see something like this. First of all, forget that this is going to be a very expensive fashion phone, despite whatever technical achievements it may make. The argument still stands that mobile phone technology is progressing faster than is prudent to make any one large investment in a phone. Alternatively, making a large investment in a watch is safer, because it will still be technologically relevant in a few years - a mobile phone will not be. So unless Ulysse Nardin has a plan around that, this product is still only going to be for a niche market. What really excites me however is a glimpse at an idea I have been preaching for a while now - use of a rotor to generate electrical energy for a mobile (always moving) device.

Lets step back and recall the first luxury phone, the Vertu. Still going strong I hear, Vertu's market was supplemented by the Tag Heuer Meridiist line of luxury phones. I don't have data to comment on how well that phone is doing. Next in line for name brand luxury phones is the Ulysse Nardin 'Chairman.' The official announcement will be at Baselworld later this month, but a few details have been made public in addition to the teaser image above. Like Tag Heuer, creating a mobile phone is not Ulysse Nardin's line of work. Both companies partnered with knowledgeable companies to design and create these uber-phones. For Ulysse Nardin, that partner is SCI Innovations (I could not find a website for them, so I can't tell you more for that entity). The Chairman phone will be a smart phone, which I suppose is a good thing given what you'll be spending on it. No doubt the phone will be unlocked, GSM based, and run a third-party operating system. For the OS, I have a feeling some skinned version of Symbian or Window Mobile will be use. My hope is that sufficient hardware is shoved in the expensive phone so that it all runs smoothly.

So leave all that information to be answered when it eventually will later this month. Like I said, the part that gets me excited is finally using motion to help power the phone. Even though the details are really thin, I have a feeling this is what we are going to see. In the mid 1990's Seiko released the Kinetic movement. It used a similar system of an automatic movement (with a rotor), but to charge a battery instead of winding a mainspring. For me the idea is simple, but genius in its execution. You use the motion generated by the user of the device to help generate power to operate it. The bane of all mobile phone users is the battery. It is no secret that battery technology is pitifully behind what our devices need. We continue to develop devices that (attempt) to consume less battery power because we cannot seem to get batteries that hold more power. I will leave that too the scientists behind it, but consider a device that sidesteps the issues by generating its own battery life.

That being said, I don't know how they will do it. The Seiko Kinetic movement works because the power necessary to operated a watch is minuscule compared to that which is required to operated a modern smart phone. I sincerely hope that this feature of the Ulysse Nardin Chairman phone is more than a mere novelty that helps charge the battery in a mostly symbolic manner. If the system operates as I hope it will, it could change the landscape of mobile phones forever - giving the power to charge a phone to the user just by moving it around regularly like we already do.

Not passing up the opportunity to point out the "green" angle of the watch, it is true that widespread adoption of such technology will help us reduce our energy consumption as the participating phones will be able to power themselves. Ulysse Nardin claims that the kinetic rotor system was developed by them, which is fine. I don't really care whose idea it was as along as it works.

The Chairman line of smart phones will initially be in a limited edition of 1846. The images above show that the rotor will be viewable as a showpiece element of the phone. Each phone will be hand assembled using similar high quality guidelines as Ulysse Nardin watches. The design of the phone uses materials such as gold, carbon fiber, and likely other metals for the case of the phone. No point in further speculating as all will become clear soon. Lastly, Ulysse Nardin hypes the phone as a "hybrid" for its combination of watch making principles and mobile phone technology. A fair statement by marketing, though marketing nonetheless. For me, I look forward to hearing about the energy charging system and how it works.

UPDATE: This doesn't change my thoughts from before, but it turns out that the Chairman phone will have two batteries. One of them will be powered by AC (plugged in), and the other will be powered by the kinetically charged rotor. We will have to see how much juice the second battery can dish out.

UPDATE 2: The phone is finally revealed and there is more information. We can see that the new operating system is pretty looking on the nice looking multi-touch screen. There is also a finger print reader for unlocking the phone and possible for some screen navigation (as some Japanese phones do). The phone has a 5 megapixel camera, WI-FI, Internet browser, email client, and the background of the screen is modeled after the Ulysse Nardin Quadrato Dual Time watch. Check out the gallery below for more images.

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Fueled by an unshakable love for horology and a general curiosity for intricate things, Ariel Adams founded aBlogtoWatch in 2007 as a means of sharing his passion. Since then, ABTW has become the highest trafficked blog on luxury timepieces, and Ariel has become a contributor to other online publications such as Forbes, Departures and Tech Crunch, to name just a few. His conversational writing style and inclusive attitude brings a wider appreciation for watches the world over, and that's just the way he likes it.
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Just a small nitpicky point – My understanding is that the seiko kinetic system has a rotor that charges a capacitor, not a battery. Capacitors pretty much last forever, where batteries can only be charged, like, 1000 times before they need to be replaced.

http://ablogtowatch.com admin

Hi Charles,
I hear what you are saying, and I don’t frankly know with the Ulysse Nardin Chairman. The literature I read discussed two batteries. If it was mistaken and referred to a battery and capacitor, then you are correct. I have a feeling the system has a two batteries plus a capacitor that stores energy between the kinetic rotor and the second supplemental battery. We will soon find out. Thanks for the comment.

I have worked on high grade watches for 12 years. This stuff is old technology.
Kinetic watches still wear parts and have to be cleaned and oiled as does any moving machinery. Changing a battery every 4 to 7 years is still a better option. Money means people don’t have to think, just buy your way out of any problem. Brain atrophy. I am going to get a steam powered cell phone that I can use in my Model T Ford. 0 to 45 in 33 seconds. It is a wonder of modern engineering.

http://ablogtowatch.com admin

Kinetic movements aren’t new, but they generate tiny amounts of power. It is the concept of applying them in applications like this that might significantly assist mobile phone battery life (someday) that is interesting.

Watchmaker

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/06/tiny-generator-turns-vibrations-into-electricity/ Rotors need to be serviced. A shake light would need less maintenance in the long term. No one needs a mechanical watch except people working near large electromagnetic pulses. It is in the interest of the watch companies to make people believe that they do. These mechanical parts are made by computerized machines that crank out millions of parts but they show you pictures of little old watchmakers in the brochures. I hope whoever buys this drops it and breaks a weight axle.

Kris C.

WatchMaker, you should have lunch with Dean Grant Baker. You can piss in each other’s Cheerio’s and remind each other how everyone on Earth is an idiot.

No brand or manufacture has ever made me believe that I need a mechanical watch. I do that to myself.

As a watchmaker/serviceman, if everyone took your sour advice, wouldn’t it put you out of a job?

Watchmaker

I am already out of a job. Rolex and Swatch are cutting watchmakers to force people to return watches to the company. I’ve been doing this too long to go back to school for something that has not changed in 100 years. I should be a sales person and say “The watch you are looking for is right here” then I would make more money and not have to have any technical knowledge. High grade watches are a scam.

Watchmaker

Most Nardin watches I have worked on are ETA 2892 slightly modified, refinished etc.
They are basically swatch movements in overpriced cases. Swatch owns Breguet, Blancpain, Tiffany & Co., Omega, Longines, Hamilton and others.http://www.swatchgroup.com/
Most high grade companies use ETA/Swatch movements. They charge you for Farrari and put a Ford Fiesta engine in it.
Rolex at least makes there own product.
Mechanical watches just don’t compare to quartz timekeeping in any case.
But performance is not as important as looking more expensive than the other guy.